Blog

Ikes from across the country gathered in Pierre, South Dakota, last week for the League's 93rd annual national convention. Convention is the largest gathering of Ikes every year and we cover a lot of ground in three days. In case you could not attend this year, here is a brief recap.

When you think about the Farm Bill, you may think crop payments or disaster insurance. But conservation? Well, yes. Conservation is a key part of Farm Bill and the reason the Izaak Walton League is so involved in Farm Bill negotiations – even 18 months after the Agricultural Act of 2014 was signed into law last February.

One of the things I most look forward to as Executive Director of the League is getting out to visit chapters nationwide. These visits give me the opportunity to meet with chapter leaders and members, learn more about local projects and activities, and explore how the national organization and chapters can work more effectively together to achieve our shared goals. Last week, I traveled more than 1,200 miles across Illinois and Iowa to visit the Decatur, Kewanee, Geneseo, Peoria, Sabula, Walter Sherry Memorial, and Woodford County Chapters.

Fighting for clean water and healthy wetlands has been a constant for the Izaak Walton League since day one. Recently, that fight has focused on restoring Clean Water Act protections to streams and wetlands in our communities. Today, our persistence paid off as the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a new rule that puts those essential protections back in place.

The House and Senate passed their budget resolutions at the end of March, putting the annual appropriations cycle into full swing. The League is making our voice heard by submitting testimony and to Congress advocating for adequate funding in 2016 for the most important conservation programs.

Having the opportunity to get outside and experience nature at a young age is more important ever – both for kids and for conservation! That’s why I’m excited about President Obama’s “Every Kid in a Park” initiative to connect kids and their families to the outdoors, no matter where they live.

I had the great pleasure of spending several lovely fall days – and one rainy one – in the coastal and the piedmont regions of Virginia shooting training videos for Virginia Save Our Streams volunteer water quality monitors.

Over the last few decades, the use of antibiotics for purposes other than treating human infections has become widespread throughout agriculture. The use of antibiotics on food animals and the subsequent residues in our food, water, and soil are creating new health concerns.

The Izaak Walton League of America and Healthy Food Action, in partnership with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, are collaborating on a series about soil health and its impact on farming and food.